West Bengal

IIE DIGITAL DESK ;  May 30: Trinamool Congress councillors continue to emerge across West Bengal, with law enforcement agencies taking action against several elected representatives. In the latest developments, police arrested two more Trinamool councillors in separate incidents between Friday night and early Saturday morning. One of the councillors has been accused of illegally collecting money from beneficiaries of a government housing scheme, while the other has been accused of involvement in fish theft and other alleged irregularities.

The arrested individuals is Gopal Das, the councillor of Ward No. 21 of the Basirhat Municipality. According to allegations, he was involved in collecting money from beneficiaries of the government’s housing scheme, commonly known as the Housing for All or Awas Yojana programme. Complaints had reportedly been made that beneficiaries were forced to pay money in exchange for receiving benefits under the scheme. Acting on these allegations, police visited Gopal Das’s residence on Friday night and arrested him for further investigation. Authorities are now examining the extent of his alleged involvement and whether others may also be connected to the case.

The second councillor arrested is Barun Sarkar, who represents Ward No. 32 of the Rajpur Sonarpur Municipality. Police arrested him during the early hours of Saturday following allegations that he was involved in stealing fish from a local fishery. According to local residents, Barun Sarkar was allegedly caught while attempting to remove fish from a nearby fish enclosure. As news of the incident spread, a number of local people gathered at the site and began protesting against the councillor. Residents reportedly surrounded him and prevented him from leaving the area.

The situation remained tense for some time as local people expressed their anger over the alleged incident. Eventually, the councillor was handed over to the police, who took him into custody and launched an investigation into the allegations. Authorities are now gathering evidence and statements from witnesses to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The arrests have once again brought allegations of corruption, extortion, and misuse of public office into the spotlight. Political observers note that these incidents have raised fresh questions about accountability and governance at the municipal level. As investigations continue, police officials are expected to examine all available evidence and take further legal action if necessary.

The back-to-back arrests of two councillors within a matter of hours have generated significant attention across the state, adding to the growing list of cases in which elected representatives have faced accusations of corruption, financial misconduct, and other criminal activities. Authorities have indicated that investigations in both cases are ongoing and that appropriate action will be taken based on the findings of the inquiry.